chapter 47

THE snowshoes were dragging at her feet. She gave Toby a mockresentful glare it was safe because she was glaring at his back. Bullet holes and all, he was obviously not having any trouble. He was barely limping as they scaled the side of another mountain. He’d slowed down, but that didn’t help as much as she’d hoped. If he hadn’t promised her an early camp at the top of the current climb, she probably would have just collapsed where she stood. “Not far,” he said without looking around. Doubtless her panting told him all he needed to know about how tired she was. “Part of it is the altitude,” he told her. “You’re used to more oxygen in the air and have to breathe harder to make up the difference.” He was making excuses for her and it stiffened her spine. She’d make this climb if it killed her. She dug the edge of her snowshoe into the snow in preparation for the next step, and a wild cry echoed through the trees, raising the hair on the back of her neck as it echoed in the mountains.